News

In Defense of Popups

By Ross Kramer

It is no secret that we tout the modal popup as the ultimate tool for building your email subscriber base, and we have the research to prove why. There are still those, however, who avoid using this time-tested tactic for fear that they will annoy – and potentially lose – prospective customers.

Recently, while discussing the effectiveness of exit popups, Listrak Senior Solution Consultant Joe Devine met with the popular popup objection. I thought his response was worth sharing:

The best strategies surrounding pop-ups, side bars, footer overlays, or any other sort of whirligigs are often hotly contested by marketers. Some folks see them as the utter dissolution of all brand integrity, while some of us see them as a necessary engagement tool when trying to achieve revenue goals.

The truth is engagement KPIs are lifted when you strategically increase acquisition. However, with such a broad spectrum of sentiments, one thing is clear: One size will not fit all and testing is key to driving adoption. After years of deploying and testing these technologies, it may seem brash, but the simple fact is, these tools work and work well. For every naysayer, I would challenge you to prove that the revenue results are not achievable or that any detriment to your brand or UX can’t be overcome.

I have said many times, for each member of your audience who abhors the technology, there are 100 more who will engage and interact with it. Marketers and brand strategists can take their windfall of profits from the 100 shoppers who convert at significantly higher levels and send flowers requesting forgiveness from every disgruntled website visitor, leaving plenty of profit for the bottom line (literally, a beautiful spring bouquet of fresh flowers!). With the right strategy, you can win your audience over.

Some retailers seem to have missed or dismissed the concept of “selling.” I believe that many audience members, on some level, want to be engaged during their shopping experience. Just as a sales rep on the floor of your stores should be greeting and interacting with patrons, so too should your website. Will you please everyone? No. But who is out there today pleasing everyone? If we make marketing decisions based upon the small audience we can rarely please, we miss the opportunity to please the audience that is ready, willing, and able to engage with us.

It is no secret that we tout the modal popup as the ultimate tool for building your email subscriber base, and we have the research to prove why. There are still those, however, who avoid using this time-tested tactic for fear that they will annoy – and potentially lose – prospective customers.

Recently, while discussing the effectiveness of exit popups, Listrak Senior Solution Consultant Joe Devine met with the popular popup objection. His response says it all:

The best strategies surrounding pop-ups, side bars, footer overlays, or any other sort of whirligigs are often hotly contested by marketers. Some folks see them as the utter dissolution of all brand integrity, while some of us see them as a necessary engagement tool when trying to achieve revenue goals.

The truth is engagement KPIs are lifted when you strategically increase acquisition. However, with such a broad spectrum of sentiments, one thing is clear: One size will not fit all and testing is key to driving adoption. After years of deploying and testing these technologies, it may seem brash, but the simple fact is, these tools work and work well. For every naysayer, I would challenge you to prove that the revenue results are not achievable or that any detriment to your brand or UX can’t be overcome.

I have said many times, for each member of your audience who abhors the technology, there are 100 more who will engage and interact with it. Marketers and brand strategists can take their windfall of profits from the 100 shoppers who convert at significantly higher levels and send flowers requesting forgiveness from every disgruntled website visitor, leaving plenty of profit for the bottom line (literally, a beautiful spring bouquet of fresh flowers!). With the right strategy, you can win your audience over.

Some retailers seem to have missed or dismissed the concept of “selling.” I believe that many audience members, on some level, want to be engaged during their shopping experience. Just as a sales rep on the floor of your stores should be greeting and interacting with patrons, so too should your website. Will you please everyone? No. But who is out there today pleasing everyone? If we make marketing decisions based upon the small audience we can rarely please, we miss the opportunity to please the audience that is ready, willing, and able to engage with us.